Vehicular trailering assist system with calibration based on monitored driving maneuvers

Abstract

A vehicular trailering assist system includes a camera disposed at a vehicle and capturing image data representative of at least a portion of a trailer hitched to the vehicle. The vehicular trailering assist system, responsive to processing of captured image data, determines that the system has not been previously calibrated for the trailer hitched to the vehicle. The vehicular trailering assist system, responsive to determining that the system has not been previously calibrated for the trailer, determines whether a dedicated calibration maneuver is triggered. The vehicular trailering assist system, responsive to determining that the dedicated calibration of the trailer is not triggered and responsive to processing of captured image data, monitors maneuvers performed by the vehicle while the trailer is hitched to the vehicle without prompting the driver for calibration maneuvers. The vehicular trailering assist system, using the monitored maneuvers, calibrates the system for the trailer.

1 . A vehicular trailering assist system, the vehicular trailering assist system comprising:
 a camera disposed at a vehicle equipped with the vehicular trailering assist system, the camera viewing at least rearward of the equipped vehicle, wherein the camera is operable to capture frames of image data;   wherein the camera comprises a CMOS imaging array, and wherein the CMOS imaging array comprises at least one million photosensors arranged in rows and columns;   an electronic control unit (ECU) comprising electronic circuitry and associated software;   wherein frames of image data captured by the camera are transferred to and are processed at the ECU;   wherein the vehicular trailering assist system, with a trailer hitched to the equipped vehicle and with the camera viewing at least a hitch of the trailer that hitches the trailer to the equipped vehicle, and via processing at the ECU of frames of image data captured by the camera and transferred to the ECU, determines whether the vehicular trailering assist system has been previously calibrated for the trailer hitched to the equipped vehicle;   wherein the vehicular trailering assist system, responsive to determining that the vehicular trailering assist system has not been previously calibrated for the trailer hitched to the equipped vehicle, determines whether a dedicated calibration maneuver for the vehicle has been triggered;   wherein the vehicular trailering assist system, responsive to determination that the dedicated calibration maneuver for the equipped vehicle is not triggered, and without prompting a driver of the equipped vehicle for calibration maneuvers, monitors driving maneuvers of the equipped vehicle while the trailer is hitched to the equipped vehicle; and   wherein the vehicular trailering assist system is calibrated for the trailer hitched to the vehicle based on the monitored driving maneuvers of the equipped vehicle.   
     
     
         2 . The vehicular trailering assist system of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicular trailering assist system, responsive to determination that the dedicated calibration maneuver for the vehicle is triggered, prompts the driver to perform the dedicated calibration maneuver. 
     
     
         3 . The vehicular trailering assist system of  claim 2 , wherein the vehicular trailering assist system is calibrated responsive at least in part to processing at the ECU of image data captured by the camera during the dedicated calibration maneuver. 
     
     
         4 . The vehicular trailering assist system of  claim 1 , wherein the dedicated calibration maneuver for the equipped vehicle is triggered at least in part responsive to the equipped vehicle being in a reverse propulsion mode. 
     
     
         5 . The vehicular trailering assist system of  claim 1 , wherein the dedicated calibration maneuver for the equipped vehicle is triggered at least in part responsive to actuation of a user input associated with a trailer assist feature. 
     
     
         6 . The vehicular trailering assist system of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicular trailering assist system monitors the driving maneuvers of the equipped vehicle until the equipped vehicle performs a plurality of target driving maneuvers. 
     
     
         7 . The vehicular trailering assist system of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of target driving maneuvers comprises (i) a drive straight for a threshold distance portion and (ii) a sharp turn portion. 
     
     
         8 . The vehicular trailering assist system of  claim 7 , wherein the sharp turn portion comprises a 90 degree turn. 
     
     
         9 . The vehicular trailering assist system of  claim 7 , wherein the drive straight for the threshold distance portion comprises driving the equipped vehicle in a straight line for at least fifteen meters. 
     
     
         10 . The vehicular trailering assist system of  claim 1 , wherein, with the vehicular trailering assist system calibrated, the vehicular trailering assist system tracks a trailer angle of the trailer relative to the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         11 . The vehicular trailering assist system of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicular trailering assist system is calibrated at least in part by generating a trailer template specific to the trailer hitched to the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         12 . The vehicular trailering assist system of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicular trailering assist system determines whether the vehicular trailering assist system has been previously calibrated for the trailer hitched to the equipped vehicle at least in part based on processing at the ECU of frames of image data captured by the camera and transferred to the ECU. 
     
     
         13 . The vehicular trailering assist system of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicular trailering assist system monitors driving maneuvers of the equipped vehicle while the trailer is hitched to the equipped vehicle at least in part via processing at the ECU of frames of image data captured by the camera and transferred to the ECU. 
     
     
         14 . A vehicular trailering assist system, the vehicular trailering assist system comprising:
 a camera disposed at a vehicle equipped with the vehicular trailering assist system, the camera viewing at least rearward of the equipped vehicle, wherein the camera is operable to capture frames of image data;   wherein the camera comprises a CMOS imaging array, and wherein the CMOS imaging array comprises at least one million photosensors arranged in rows and columns;   an electronic control unit (ECU) comprising electronic circuitry and associated software;   wherein frames of image data captured by the camera are transferred to and are processed at the ECU;   wherein the vehicular trailering assist system, with a trailer hitched to the equipped vehicle and with the camera viewing at least a hitch of the trailer that hitches the trailer to the equipped vehicle, and via processing at the ECU of frames of image data captured by the camera and transferred to the ECU, determines whether the vehicular trailering assist system has been previously calibrated for the trailer hitched to the equipped vehicle;   wherein the vehicular trailering assist system, responsive to determining that the vehicular trailering assist system has not been previously calibrated for the trailer hitched to the equipped vehicle, determines whether a dedicated calibration maneuver for the equipped vehicle has been triggered, and wherein the dedicated calibration maneuver for the equipped vehicle is triggered at least in part responsive to at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) the equipped vehicle being in a reverse propulsion mode and (ii) actuation of a user input associated with a trailer assist feature;   wherein the vehicular trailering assist system, responsive to determination that the dedicated calibration maneuver for the equipped vehicle is not triggered, and without prompting a driver of the equipped vehicle for calibration maneuvers, monitors driving maneuvers of the equipped vehicle while the trailer is hitched to the equipped vehicle;   wherein the vehicular trailering assist system is calibrated for the trailer hitched to the equipped vehicle based on the monitored driving maneuvers of the equipped vehicle; and   wherein, with the vehicular trailering assist system calibrated, the vehicular trailering assist system tracks a trailer angle of the trailer relative to the equipped vehicle.   
     
     
         15 . The vehicular trailering assist system of  claim 14 , wherein the vehicular trailering assist system monitors the driving maneuvers of the equipped vehicle until the equipped vehicle performs a plurality of target driving maneuvers. 
     
     
         16 . The vehicular trailering assist system of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of target driving maneuvers comprises (i) a drive straight for a threshold distance portion and (ii) a sharp turn portion. 
     
     
         17 . The vehicular trailering assist system of  claim 16 , wherein the sharp turn portion comprises a 90 degree turn. 
     
     
         18 . The vehicular trailering assist system of  claim 16 , wherein the drive straight for the threshold distance portion comprises driving the equipped vehicle in a straight line for at least fifteen meters. 
     
     
         19 . A vehicular trailering assist system, the vehicular trailering assist system comprising:
 a camera disposed at a vehicle equipped with the vehicular trailering assist system, the camera viewing at least rearward of the equipped vehicle, wherein the camera is operable to capture frames of image data;   wherein the camera comprises a CMOS imaging array, and wherein the CMOS imaging array comprises at least one million photosensors arranged in rows and columns;   an electronic control unit (ECU) comprising electronic circuitry and associated software;   wherein frames of image data captured by the camera are transferred to and are processed at the ECU;   wherein the vehicular trailering assist system, with a trailer hitched to the equipped vehicle and with the camera viewing at least a hitch of the trailer that hitches the trailer to the equipped vehicle, and via processing at the ECU of frames of image data captured by the camera and transferred to the ECU, determines whether the vehicular trailering assist system has been previously calibrated for the trailer hitched to the equipped vehicle;   wherein the vehicular trailering assist system, responsive to determining that the vehicular trailering assist system has not been previously calibrated for the trailer hitched to the equipped vehicle, determines whether a dedicated calibration maneuver for the equipped vehicle has been triggered;   wherein the vehicular trailering assist system, responsive to determination that the dedicated calibration maneuver for the equipped vehicle is not triggered, and without prompting a driver of the equipped vehicle for calibration maneuvers, monitors driving maneuvers of the equipped vehicle while the trailer is hitched to the equipped vehicle, and wherein the vehicular trailering assist system monitors the driving maneuvers of the equipped vehicle until the equipped vehicle performs a plurality of target driving maneuvers;   wherein the vehicular trailering assist system, responsive to determination that the dedicated calibration maneuver for the equipped vehicle is triggered, prompts the driver to perform the dedicated calibration maneuver; and   wherein the vehicular trailering assist system is calibrated for the trailer hitched to the equipped vehicle based on one selected from the group consisting of (i) the monitored driving maneuvers of the equipped vehicle and (ii) the dedicated calibration maneuver.   
     
     
         20 . The vehicular trailering assist system of  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of target driving maneuvers comprises (i) a drive straight for a threshold distance portion and (ii) a sharp turn portion. 
     
     
         21 . The vehicular trailering assist system of  claim 20 , wherein the sharp turn portion comprises a 90 degree turn. 
     
     
         22 . The vehicular trailering assist system of  claim 20 , wherein the drive straight for the threshold distance portion comprises driving the equipped vehicle in a straight line for at least fifteen meters.